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GM Joel's Chess Week Recap

March 19, 2018

Three-time U.S. Champion GM Joel Benjamin brings you a new show every Saturday at 18:00 Server Time. Joel is regarded by many as one of the best commentators and analysts we have in the game today -- so if you want to get ahead of the game, get ready to tune-in!

GM Joel brings us action from the Reykjavik Open and Saint Louis Spring Internationals. Check out the article with PGN files, games annotation and much more

Reykjavik Open

Saint Louis Spring Internationals

GM Larry Christiansen's "Attack with LarryC!"

March 16, 2018

GM Larry Christiansen is a three-time U.S. Champion and one of the most dangerous and respected attacking players of his generation. He is a feared competitor and attacker who authored two popular books that showcase his aggressive style: Storming the Barricades and Rocking the Ramparts. Each week on the show, Larry will feature various attacking motifs and themes and showing you how best to play for mate.

Today's show is:Savage, Saavy Savchenko Attack Proves Kostin

GM Boris Alterman's "Gambit Guide"

March 15, 2018

One of the world's first Grandmasters, America's Frank J. Marshall (1877-1944) left behind a lasting legacy to the chess world with his revered gambit against the Ruy Lopez: the Marshall Attack with 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 0-0 8 c3 d5! The myth goes that Marshall deliberately kept his analysis secret for seven years before playing it against Capablanca at New York 1918, but this has since been debunked by historians. Regardless of its origins, it continues to wreak havoc both at both club and elite level over 90 years on!

Marshall Gambit - Part 2

NM Dan Heisman's "Improve Your Chess IV"

March 14, 2018

National Master Dan Heisman is a name that is synonymous with excellence in chess coaching and teaching. Dan authors the award-winning Novice Nook column (winner of three Chess Journalists of America "Best Instruction" awards), aimed at improving adults, for chesscafe.com that are clearly written and offer very practical advice and tips on how to improve your game. More info about Dan can be found here.

First Learn End! - Fischer-Bisguier 1959

In the new Improve Your Chess IV series, coach Dan shows us the importance of learning how to play endgames.

In his new series on endgames, NM Heisman selects GM/master games that are decided in the endgame, showing the entire game but concentrating on the endgame play. The idea is to present practical, instructive endgames of all types, not just "theoretical" positions or difficult wins, although any type of endgame may be included. These videos are aimed at players with USCF/FIDE ratings in the range of 1100-1900; however, players outside that range may benefit as well.

Today's show: The young Fischer uncharacteristically forces the trade of queens in the opening. It then becomes a fairly even game all the way into an equal rook and pawn endgame. Bisguier then strangely offers the trade of rooks into a drawn, but dangerously tricky king and pawn endgame where Black has to tread a fine line to draw. Bisguier does just that - for a while - but finally makes that "easy" fatal mistake and Fischer displays excellent technique (he was only 16 after all) to put the older GM away.

GM Yermolinsky's "Every Russian Schoolboy Knows"

March 11, 2018

Former World Champion and legendary chess teacher Mikhail Botvinnik was the originator of the “Every Russian schoolboy knows” chess aphorism, which alluded to the fact that thousands of unknown schoolboys back in Russia - due to the intense training methods they received from a young age - likely knew more about the game than most professionals did in the West.

One player who came through that legendary Soviet training camp is former U.S. Champion GM Alexander Yermolinsky. And each Sunday in his hit show, “Every Russian Schoolboy Knows”, Alex will explain and expand on all the top tips and tricks gleaned from those famed training methods.

Today's show is: Practical Endgames - Part 4

The purpose of endgame studies is two-fold. One thing is to discipline your thinking and teach yourself to calculate carefully to the end, which is essential for endgame play. As the material on the board diminishes, the probability of your opponent making mistakes lessens, and you may not be given another chance to recover. Another part is acquiring a practical knowledge of typical endgame positions that may occur in your games. This four-part series mainly focuses on the latter.

Video 4: Another common endgame theme is Rook vs Bishop. The theory of such endgames is extensive, but well-researched and documented. There's really no reason why any strong player should have any problems playing such positions to perfection, as long as he puts up some work. Yet, time and again, I see examples of unsure handling of this type of endgame from the best players. Videos #3 and #4, illustrate the point. Aronian took many moves waltzing around in what should have been an easy win, if he only thought about how to push the black bishop off its diagonal a - common idea in such endings. In return, his opponent, GM Dubov, failed to spot a clear drawing pattern offered by Levon's mistake 73.g3. In Grischuk-Vachier Lagrave, a routine win was spoiled when Alexander carelessly allowed the black pawn to become a passer. Fixing the opponent's remaining pawn on the same color square as his bishop is always top priority. Grischuk's mistake led to an interesting ending where the win was no longer trivial.

GM Ronen Har-Zvi's Opening Series

March 09, 2018

With this series, GM Ronen guides us through the secrets of the Alapin Sicilian

The Alapin Sicilian - Part 4

For many players not having the time or inclination studying the never-ending labyrinth of mainline Sicilians, such as the Najdorf, Dragon, Taimanov and Sveshnikov, the Alapin with 1. e4 c5 2. c3 has proved to be a very popular alternative. It is named after the Russian master Semyon Alapin (1856-1923), and today it is one of the most solid and respected Anti-Sicilians, championed by many club players and leading grandmasters, such as Evgeny Sveshnikov, Eduardas Rozentalis and Sergey Tiviakov.

Sharpen your chess-sense with IM Watson

February 20, 2015

Here at ICC Chess.FM we are always looking for improvement, and to provide our members with useful and interesting material to improve their game. We felt the need for a brand-new show, aimed at beginners up to intermediate players, where they can learn how to build an opening repertoire. IM John Watson is a renowned chess teacher, and with his new show he's going to put at your service his great teaching experience. In these videos, IM Watson is going to help you build your own opening repertoire, explaining the ideas that lie behind the moves; that's it, you won't have to memorize long sequences of moves in order to play your openings! Watson's lectures are going to sharpen your chess-sense, make you aware of what's going on over the 64-square beloved piece of wood (or the few pixels that it takes to see a board on your screen), and get a good "feeling" about your position. Every Tuesday at 3:00pm ICC time, don't miss the new and amazing Chess.FM show: Sharpen your chess-sense with IM John Watson! This week IM Watson starts a new series, going from the 1.d4 opening move to 1.e4, and helping you build a repertoire for white against the ever-green Sicilian Defense.